MENTORING

ONE TICKET TO ON-GOING COMPETENCE

Mentoring is one important element of professional development that is often overlooked. Talk to fifty successful people and many will tell that they benefitted from a mentor on their journey to success. Success always involve inter-generation transfer of information, Mentorship is no different, although mentors and mentees can be in the same generation. Though the value of mentorship has been recognized, there remains a paucity of forums for people seeking mentors to find one.

WINN understands the power of mentorship both as an instrument of self and societal development. One goal of WINN is to make available a process by which potential mentors and mentees can connect and begin what is often a transformative journey for both the mentor and the mentee. Over the next several months, WINN intends to explore the subject of mentorship in an in-depth way. WINN intends to look at mentorship from various perspective such as: cross-cultural, business, power dynamic, social engagement, inter-generational, etc. WINN starts this discussion with a general look at mentorship what it means, its benefits, and how to select a mentor. In this regard, WINN caught up with Arnold Minors, a long-time organization development consultant who himself has served as a mentor and has agreed to be part of WINN’s mentorship panel. WINN interviewed Mr. Minors and asked him about mentorship. What follows are Mr. Minors responses to WINN’s questions.

What does mentorship mean to you?

Mentorship is an ongoing process in which a mentor facilitates personal learning and growth of the person being mentored.

Who would you say needs a mentor and why?

Anyone who is interested in having a relationship with another person who can actively facilitate growth needs a mentor. Learning and growth are often hard work to do alone. Feedback from another person is frequently helpful. Mentorship is an excellent example of a process where “shared joy doubles, and shared sorrow is halved.”

What are the challenges in finding a mentor?

The biggest challenge is recognizing that a mentor is an “assistance” in growth. I believe that a key to the success of Alcoholics Anonymous is the recognition by an alcoholic that she needs help and says so to herself. Once the recognition of the need is made, the next challenge is finding a person who you can trust and who has your best interests at heart and acts on them unconditionally.

Are there particular groups of people whom you believe could benefit most from mentorship?

Our society is one in which there is uneven distribution of power and wealth – in its broadest sense. To make a huge generalization, statistically, the people with the most access to resources are white, heterosexual, able-bodied, judaeo-christian men. The further people are away from that set of characteristics, the greater is their need for mentors.

From your perspective, what are the top five benefits of having a mentor?

From my previous answer, I think you realize that the major benefit of mentorship is that it can contribute to a socially just society. The second benefit is that successful mentorship increases critical thinking and conscious reflection in both mentor and mentee, if I can use that word. I believe that critical thinking in individuals leads to a more engaged citizenry. That is a plus for genuine democracy, in its original sense rather than its contemporary, corrupted usage. Genuine democracy is good for this endangered planet. A third benefit of mentoring is that it builds more satisfying inter-generational relations and cross-cultural relationships.

There are, I’m sure, more benefits. Working towards those three would be good enough for me.

What is the difference between mentorship and networking?

Both, I think, are useful. Mentorship is a sustained relationship between two people. Networking provides people with the opportunity to find all kinds of relationships that are meaningful to them. It is, in fact, one way of finding a mentor.

Do you see a difference between mentorship and coaching and if so what is it?

I believe that mentorship and coaching are different, although for some people, they are interchangeable terms. Mentorship is person focussed; coaching is outcome focussed, often job performance or skills development. Accordingly, mentors help their mentees with life while coaching focuses on the job or a job. I do not wish to push this too far but I think that usually coaches have some form of power over the people they coach – position power, for example. Successful mentoring relationships require power with each other. Generally a coach is assigned to a person. In mentorship, it is a self-selecting process.

What are some of the factors that a person should use to select a mentor?

I believe that the biggest factor is gut-level trust. Mentors and the people they mentor select each other, regardless of who initiates the process. Trust is vital. The two people should be alike each other enough that they have points of common bond. On the other hand, they should be different enough from each other to challenge each other. Mentoring is a wonderful example of what I call the Zanana Akande Rule: If two people in a relationship always agree, one of them is unnecessary.”

What are some of the factors that a mentor should consider before agreeing to mentor a person?

A mentor must ask herself: Do I really think I want to be involved in what may be a deeply personal way with this person for what may be a long time? Am I prepared to share equally? Am I prepared to be open with my own feelings and fears?

What are some of the issues in mentorship from the mentors perspective?

My answer to this is the same as the previous answer.

What are some of the issues in mentorship from the perspective of the mentee?

I believe the mentee must ask himself the same questions as the mentor asks. Accordingly, the same issues arise as I described in the question about the mentor.

What are the five most important current trends in mentorship?

From my own observation, I think that there is growing recognition of the need for mentorship by people who recognize their own need for mentorship, particularly by members of groups of people who have disproportionately less access to society’s wealth.

There is also a growing need of the recognition of the need for people who are approaching mid-life or who are even older that there has been a failure to share knowledge with younger people. For some marginalized people, that failure has increased inter-generational frustration and, unfortunately, distance between each other.

I said earlier that there has been some talk of making coaching and mentorship synonymous. I believe this is the result of a probably unconscious recognition that mentorship has the possibility of transforming the society to a more just one. In this society where outcomes appear to be more valued than process, making mentorship synonymous with coaching has the effect – if not the intent – of making mentorship less common, except for people who have disproportionately more access to resources. I worry about that.

WINN Thanks Mr. Minors for giving so graciously of himself and sharing his thoughts in a cursory way on this very important topic of mentorship.

The web is a giant place, and Dropbox is working to make the gap between computers and the internet much

Muse Kuulow

Muse Kuulow was born and initially educated in Somalia. After graduating from Journalism school in Somalia, Muse worked as a journalist first in the print industry, and later in radio. He spent four years working for Somalia’s national newspaper During his short journalism career in Somalia Muse covered the political system, parliamentary matters, and issues of national importance. As a broadcaster, Muse appeared on numerous radio programs that covered and highlighted his work. Muse coverage of Somalia’s civil war issues led to rumors of his life being endangered. He promptly moved to Kenya where he worked as a free-lance journalist not only for small establishments, but for internationally known organizations such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In Kenya, Muse was the recipient of the National Kenynian Journalism Award for his consistent and outstanding reporting. After three and a half years in Kenya, Muse made the decision to migrate to North America and chose Canada as his new home.

Once in Canada, Muse was determined to re-enter into the field that commands his professional passion—journalism. In 2007 Muse promptly enrolled in Carlton’s University’s Journalism Program. Carleton University, despite Muse’s journalism reputation and experience and recognition, credited him with two years for all of his prior work and experience. As a result, Muse graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism after only two years of study.

While studying at Carleton University Muse founded the Immigrant Post Magazine, a publication dedicated to publicizing issues relevant to the immigrant experience. Funded by the Canada Magazine Fund, the Immigrant Post now has a monthly circulation of upwards of 10, 000 units. Muse is also now the publisher of Somali Tribune Newspaper, a weekly newspaper serving the Somalian community with a monthly circulation of upwards of 10, 000 units.

Always fascinated by radio broadcasting, Muse, while still being the publisher of two print enterprises, launched into radio where he now hosts a program called Radio Alif on AM530. Aired twice per week (Wednesdays & Thursday 10p.m. to midnight). Muse continues to build his journalism reach and profile by being the host of a Radio One Somalia aired on 88.9FM, an ethnic based media in Toronto.

Since his graduation from Carleton University’s Journalism Program, Muse has pursued his dream of combining his passion for human rights and journalism. On the human rights front, Muse has worked tirelessly in Toronto vulnerable communities to seek social justice by using journalist platforms as a platform for legislative and regulatory commentary and suggested changes. By 2008, Muse served on the Ontario Immigration Advisory Committee. In 2010, Muse won an award from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council for Best In Editorial Concept and Visual Presentation in the publication of the Immigrant Post Magazine.

These experiences (both academic and professional) have allowed Muse to really explore how information is relayed to the public and the great need for the public to be aware of and be involved in the events and activities happening around them, especially marginalized communities. Muse continues to break down barriers facing immigrant through his work in journalism. Operating in the cultural product space has exposed him to how culture, politics, and organization issues intersect to impact the daily lives of immigrants as they adjust to their new environments and become acculturated, making Canada their domicile of choice. Muse is dedicated and is willing to participate in virtually any initiative that serves to better the lives of immigrants, in particularly those initiatives that bring the stories, including work-related ones, to the fore. Given Muse’s own experience as a “quasi-refugee”, he is particularly interested in providing insights into the working lives of undocumented workers and will use his media skills, where possible, to cry for change. Muse has lived and worked in Toronto for over a decade now. He has a lot of experience working with committees, groups, and organizations and understands their unique challenges.

Katherine has over 20 years of experience in finance, manufacturing and warehouse management. Her work focuses on boosting productivity, improving inventory management, trimming operational costs, business process re-engineering, enhancements, user education, and training. She guides clients towards maximum return on investment, accelerating software implementations, and successfully deploying to end users throughout the organization. She identifies opportunities where clients could greatly benefit from implementing additional modules/applications. She has flexible implementation methodologies, introduced new concepts, and developed business processes for achieving consistent results.

Katherine has successfully implemented several software systems at mid-size manufacturing & distribution companies including: Epicor 9, Vantage 8, Manage 2000, and iScala. Katherine has successfully implemented Warehouse Management Software with License Plate, Lot, Serial and Bin Tracking. She has taught internationally business concepts, technical installations with MS SQL, Intermec, Honeywell and Motorola as well as the device configurations. As a Corporate Business Manager lead an implementation for 5 facilities with over 25,000 transactions per day in 3 countries.

Ashlee has served as the On-line Creative Director for Over the Rainbow. In this role Ashlee managed social media, and maintained the organization’s website and online catalogues. Ashlee’s creative decisions about online presence, and product placements for the enterprise were always pointed. Apart from her involvement on this team Ashlee works as a videographer/photographer with film-making experience. Ashlee has photographed culturally iconic personalities such as Martin Sheen, Martin Luther King III, Rita Marley, Rohan Marley, Sharon Marley, Tommy Hilfiger, Anna Dello Russo and Lady Gaga. Ashlee’s inclusion on this team is definitely an asset as she spearheads WINN’s creative dimensions.Experience Ashlee’s film-making skills were involved in the making of the feature-length documentary “RasTa: A Souls ’s Journey” which was nominated as best documentary by a U.S. organization.

Ashlee is currently directing “ T ”, a one-hour, heart-wrenching documentary film that examines the meaning of life and its many joys. The story is told by examining the tension between the mind and the body, the present and the future, the now and the never, the good and the bad. The story is about how life’s joys can be achieved despite devastating and consistent uncertainties of medical devastation. It is a story of the triumph of a mind resolved to live life to the fullest, even when medical practitioners can explain the scope or regularity of illness that has affected “T”, the descendants of Italian immigrants caught up in a small town Niagara Falls, Ontario in the 1940 and how T eventually comes to her subjective meaning of life, how she laughs and enjoy her restricted mobility and a life in which she is somewhat confined. By the end of the film the viewer is inspired by T’s clarity of purpose and her ability to define her worth and world through her paintings, until, of course she loses her eyesight and becomes a victim of professional care giver abuses when $5000 of her money is stolen.

“Untitled” is a short film that takes you on my trip travelling to Manitoba-Shoal LakeIndian Reserve. This is a film that will expose the rawness and political tensions that remain deep into the culturalpsyche of aboriginal peoples towards colonizers. The film looks at the

Videographer/Photographer: Ashlee is the on-going Director and Videographer for about a dozen series of short films documenting Donisha Prendergast. “Short-term journey’s” By way of an agreement with Donisha Prendergast, Ashlee currently shoots footage for a documentary film featuring Donisha’s Journey as a film student at Ryerson University. This film will examine the transition of Ms. Prendergast’s role from advocate, rebel, community organizer and motivation speaker into a dedicated and eager student.

HORROR FILMThe Mackenzie Project is a forty minute, horror film listed in the IMB. It was produced and directed by an An independent film company called High Sock Production. Horror/Drama/Comedy

Education Humber College, Toronto — Fashion Arts, 2011

Winston Mattis

Winston Mattis holds a M.P.A., from Queen’s University, a law degree from the University of Windsor together with a variety of other undergraduate credentials, including a project management certificate.

Winston started out his professional career in sciences, after studying biochemistry at York University at which he studied biochemistry. For three of the four years he spent at York University Winston was a disc jockey and announcer on CHRY. He created and broadcasted a show which he called Messages from the Sun Goddess, a show which fused the rap sounds of Grandmaster Flash (Messages) with the melodic contours of Earth Wind and Fire’s Sun Goddess. It is while at York University that Winston started playing music, initial in the acclaimed Yorktones Steel Orchestra before he started playing bass, a bit of drums, and alto saxophone.

Winston worked for about a year with the Ministry of Health in its reference laboratory located in the west end of Toronto. He then worked as an interviewer on a nationally syndicated evaluation project for the federal government (EI). Shortly thereafter, Winston started his own research company from which he provided consultancy services. While working as a consultant, Winston researched numerous issues for community-based organizations. Winston was one of the persons who helped in the initial stages of forming Eva’s Place. While providing consultancy services, Winston enrolled in the Public Administration Program at Ryerson Polytechnic, now Ryerson University and later on in Queen’s University M.P.A program. At Queen’s University, Winston started P.S. 2000 the first ever M.P.A. student-led magazine. The purpose of the magazine was to publish the creative policy ideas of M.P.A. students. Instead of going on to a doctorate in policy studies, Winston opted to enroll in a joint law program between Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, and the University of Detroit (Mercy) School of Law.

Over the years, Winston has worked in numerous fields including policing, human rights, community development and training. Winston was the researcher that researched the structure of apprenticeship in Ontario’s construction trades for the Royal Commission: Access to Professions and Trades in Ontario. Winston, for example, was part of the consulting team that researched and designed the Race Relation and Policing Policy for the Solicitor General of Ontario. Way back in about 1979 Winston was a delegate to the first ever federally sponsored Multiculturalism conference at which he addressed the assembly.

Throughout his career Winston has appeared in the media in a variety of capacities. As a musician and performer, Winston produced several albums and singles on Toronto’s music scene. He was one of the founders of the label SEE (Starlyte Entertainment Enterprise), a label that will be revived within the next three months. The label will not only produce and distribute approximately 300 song in six colleague’s music library, but will manage the careers of various up and coming artists.

Winston practiced Labour and Employment Law for fifteen years in Ontario, advising employers and employees on a wide range of human resources issues. Prior to starting his own law practice Winston articled with Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie, a boutique Labour and Employment Law firm in Ontario. Winston is a former musician/producer. He is also a former dancer who worked for a short time in theatre. A former Board Member of Ballet Creole, Winston has a long history of working in the performing arts industry. Winston, the holder of a certificate in photography from Humber College, is a published author who enjoys a reputation of being one of Canada’s leading thinkers in the areas of discrimination, and diversity management in the workplace.

In 2014 Winston founded a media enterprise called WINN (Workplace Intelligence Navigation Network) a website dedicated to the presentation of workplace-related information. The site presents workplace information and stories in a multi-media format. A combination of training and other videos are displayed for consumption. WINN sets out to amass the largest selection of workplace related information on the internet anywhere in the universe. Check out workplace-intelligence.com which goes live on April 05, 2015.

Winston has been a member of several boards and committees including, but not limited to: Riverdale Hospital, Toronto Mayor’s Committee on Community & Race Relations, and Public Policy Ryerson University.